OLD ALRESFORD PLACE,
OLD ALRESFORD

by Vincent Pemberton

On the corner of the lane leading up to
the village of Bighton and opposite the
parish church of Old Alresford, is a large
country house, standing in its own grounds
and surrounded by well-established beech
trees, lawns and flower beds. Whilst it
gives the impression of being a private
residence, it is in fact the Winchester
Diocesan Retreat and Conference house,
and was for over three centuries, the Rectory.
When first built it was much smaller, but
in the early part of the seventeenth century
was enlarged.

It's history up to the present day, is
very interesting, in fact, I would venture
the opinion that the village of Old A1resford
is much the richer by having this old house
in its midst. Further additions were made
in later years and. I will comment on these
in due course, but meantime would like
to give you some information regarding
the Rectors who were resident during the
period covering the seventeenth to the
early part of the twentieth centuries.
No details seem to be available as to when
the Rectory was built or even whether it
was reconstructed from an older building,
but we do know that it was in situ in the
year 1620 when Dr. Hamlet Marshall was
Rector.

Dr. Marshall left the parish in 1633 when
he exchanged Livings with Dr. Peter Heylyn,
a man of letters, and Chaplain to King
Charles the first. This exchange was by
command of the King who required the presence
of his Chaplain when the Court came to
Winchester. I have already commented on
Dr. Heylyn in a previous article on Old
Alresford Church, but there are certain
matters concerning the Rectory recorded
by his Biographer, which should be mentioned.
When he moved into the Rectory he decided
on a programme of rebuilding which included
a small chapel, a hall in the middle of
the house, and a wide staircase with a
glass cupola at the top, built into the
roof, which is there to this day. He also
planned gardens with pleasant walks, cyprus
trees and arbours, and caused a high wooden
bridge to be built across the road to the
churchyard to avoid the common way which
at times was almost impassable. No details
are available as to when the bridge was
pulled down. There is little doubt that
in Dr. Heylyn's time and for many years
after, the grounds were quite extensive,
but today are much more contained. They
are however, in immaculate condition due
to the skill and dedication of Mr. K. Benham,
who has been gardener there for many years.
Dr. Heylyn died in 1662 and was succeeded
by Mr. George Beaumont, a Prebendary of
Winchester. He was presented by Bishop
Morley and held the Living until 1692 when
the Rev. William Needham was inducted.
He was a Prebendary of St. David's, and
according to Duthy, was in receipt of a
private income which enabled him to devote
the whole of his stipend to charity. He
was much loved in the parish and there
is a memorial to him in the church, and
also one to his housekeeper, Mistress Davenport,
on which is a small sculpture of the household
dog holding crossed keys.

He was followed in 1727 by the Rev. Joseph
Foley M.A. also a Prebendary of Winchester,
and Duthy records that he was presented
by Bishop Willis. In 1736 Dr. John Hoadley,
son of Bishop Hoadley, moved into the parish.
He was Chancellor of Winchester, and it
was during his Incumbency that Old Alresford
parish church was rebuilt, the Churchwardens
at that time being James Rodney, brother
of the famous Admiral Lord George Bridges
Rodney and William Bulpitt, a well-known
resident and landowner. Hoadley died in
1776 and in that year Dr. William Buller,
D.D. later to became Bishop of Exeter,
was appointed. He remained in office until
1795 whorl he was succeeded by Francis
North, in later years to became Earl of
Guildford. He was a son of Bishop Brownlow
North and lived in considerable style,
spending a large sum of money on major
work which considerably increased the size
of the Rectory, and many would have expressed
the view that it was quite out of keeping
for such a small parish. According to Duthy
it became in style and dimensions much
superior to what would be found in a building
of this description, so that the value
of the Living caused it, on occasions,
to be the option of the Metropolitan.

He held the Living until 1851 and was succeeded
by the Rev. George Henry Sumner, D.D. son
of Bishop Sumner. He was appointed a Canon
of Winchester, then Archdeacon, and finally,
Suffragan Bishop of Guildford, which at
that time came under Winchester. Mach has
been written about him and his wife Mary,
who founded the Mothers Union in 1876 and
I will not go into further detail. He was
followed in 1886 by the Rev. Sir Frederick
Currie, and in 1895 by the Rev. Frederick
Matthew Middleton M.A. who died in 1904.
There is a memorial to him in the church
with the words "Blessed are the Peacemakers".
The appointment of the Rev. George Pardoe
M.A. in 1904 marked the end of an era,
as he was the last Rector to live in the
old Rectory. Before proceeding further,
one interesting feature is worth mentioning.
The church registers record quite a number
of entries made by Curates, but nowhere
in the Parish books is there any reference
to a place of residence. I gather however,
from people in the village that the house
known as Brook Lodge was originally the
Curate's House. This attractive red brick
building, now considerably enlarged, which
stands facing the village green, was at
one time well within the Rectory boundary,
and this alone gives sane credence to what
I have been told.

In 1908 it was decided that the Rectory
was too much of a burden for the Rector
and arrangements were made to acquire a
smaller property further up the lane, now
known as Hill House. So, the old Rectory
passed into private hands and was renamed
Old Alresford Place, the new owner being
a Mr. Laming, a London stockbroker who
remained in residence until the middle
thirties. Mrs. Laming was a very active
member of the British Red Cross Society,
and during the First World War the house
was used as a convalescent home for wounded
soldiers. Then came the Second World War,
and in common with many other concerns
who moved out of large cities and towns,
the Provident Mutual Assurance Co. bought
Old Alresford Place as a war-time headquarters.
No alterations were made to the building,
but air raid shelters were constructed
for the use of the staff, one being behind
the old coach house and stable block. This
one is still functional and is used as
an apple store. A little further down the
grounds a strong rocn was built to house
the firm's records. In 1945 the house was
sold to an Organisation for the care of
maladjusted children, and from what I have
heard in the past from parishioners, the
boys were unruly and very destructive,
and when the place closed in 1961 it was
in a very sorry state.

In that year it was bought by the Diocese
for use as a Retreat and Conference House
and the facts leading up to this change
in ownership are worth mentioning. In the
north east corner of Hampshire in the village
of Sherbourne St. John is a large mansion
of Tudor origin called the Vyne, which
belonged to Sir Charles Chute, a Barrister
of the Inner Temple and one time chairman
of the Hampshire County Council. At his
death, in 1956 the property was bequeathed
to the Church of England in the hope that
it could be used as a lime for retired
Clergy, but although very careful consideration
was given to the bequest the cost of maintenance
and the fact that it was too isolated,
precluded acceptance. The Winchester Diocese
was then approached with the view to ascertaining
whether the House could be used as a Diocesan
Retreat and Conference House, but here
again, after much thought and many meetings,
the cost of adaptation and day to day running
was considered to be far too heavy, and
eventually the property passed into the
hands of the National Trust.

In 1960 Canon Julian Rudd came to Old Alresford
as Rector and Rural Dean and quite by chance
on the day before he was due to attend
a meeting of Bishops and Rural Deans at
Wolvesley, he was informed by the local
policeman that Old Alresford Place was
to be sold, and the date was March 13th
1961. This was exciting news, particularly
as he had in mind the previous discussions
concerning the Vyne, which emphasised the
great need for a Retreat House, and having
obtained the plans of the old Rectory he
brought them up at the meeting. After some
discussion it was agreed to refer the whole
question to the Diocesan Board of Finance,
and finally from there, to the Diocesan
Conference. There was a substantial body
of opinion that considered it a waste of
money, but with the enthusiastic support
of Sir William Makins, Chairman of the
Board of Finance, Lt.Col. Hubert Madge,
Secretary, and Canon Julian Rudd, agreement
was reached to purchase the property. The
Bishop of Winchester also gave his full
support. The price, which reflected the
bad state in which the house was in, was £12,300,
and this included nine acres of land some
of which was later sold. In the words of
Sir James King, later to become Chairman
of the Planning Committee, "They took
the chance when it came, and with courage
and a sense of purpose, carried it through
to a successful and triumphant conclusion".
The overall cost was estimated at £57,000,
but generous financial help was available
from legacies left by the Chute family
and there is a plaque in the entrance hall
paying tribute to their beneficence. Many
other gifts from donors who wished to remain
anonymous, plus an appeal and a large sale
of work, enabled the target to be reached.

The architect was Mr. Alfred Howard A.R.I.B.A.
and immediate steps were taken to carry
out the necessary alterations and repairs,
the drawing room and dining room being
the first to be restored to their former
elegance, including the re-positioning
of two carved pillars which were found
in the basement. The large room on the
first floor, reputed to be Mary Sumner's
bedroom was converted into a chapel in
the modern idiom to the design of Mr. Colin
Shewring A.R.I.B.A. It has a central altar
with seating on three sides, and is dedicated
to the Holy Spirit. A very arresting circular
wrought iron treadle representing the tongues
of fire, hangs over the altar, and this
is repeated on the altar frontal. The altar
and frontal were the gifts of the Winchester
Mothers' Union, and a donation of £500
was made by the Central Council of that
Organisation towards the cost of furnishing,
which was carried out by the Warham Guild.

Leading off the chapel is a small room
which was converted into a Conductor's
room, and across the passage another room
was made available to house the Christopher
Library which originally served the Bournemouth
Deanery. An anonymous donor provided a
small endownment to keep it up to date.
The old coach houses and stables were demolished
to make more room for the parking of coaches,
and the war-time strong room was altered
to make roan for two cars and a workshop.
In the late seventies it was decided that
additional space was required in which
groups could hold meetings, and this was
accomplished by increasing the height of
the garage block to encompass a good sized
room, a small kitchen and toilets. Space
was also provided at the rear for camping
together with the necessary equipment,
and this complex is known as the annexe.
In the main building accommodation consisting
of a small flat was provided for a caretaker,
and this is now occupied by the warden.

The task of carrying out the repairs, adaptation
and furnishing was completed at the end
of 1963 and the scars which had been left
by the previous occupants disappeared for
ever. On January 11th 1964 the Bishop of
Winchester blessed and dedicated the chapel
and on April 25th he performed the opening
ceremony of the House. Canon Julian Rudd,
now Rector of Warwick, was appointed Warden,
and a management committee under the chairmanship
of Sir James King, and in later years Admiral
Sir Desmond Dryer, was formed. The staffing
was undertaken by four Sisters from the
House of Bethany, Bournemouth, the first
Sister-in-charge being Sister Felicity,
followed over the years by Sister Elisabeth
Julian, Sister Christina Mary and Sister
Angela Beryl. They were much loved and
it would be true to say that the atmosphere
of peace and tranquility which one felt
on entering the House was, in no small
way, due to their presence. Their living
accommodation, including an Oratory, was
on the first floor at the north end of
the building, and a small refectory, adjacent
to the main dining room was converted for
their use. Voluntary help was afforded
by ladies from the village and outside,
particularly when large parties were expected,
and quite apart from this, help was also
available for such things as sewing and
clerical work.

Sadly the time came when the Sisters had
to be withdrawn, and in May 1981 they returned
to the Mother House. They have been greatly
missed. Their departure necessitated a
complete change in management and a full
time Warden, Mr. David Rogers, is in charge,
with a paid domestic staff, and the Chaplain
is the Rev. Michael Campling, Rector of
Old Alresford and Bighton. The Sisters'
accommodation has been converted into additional
bedrooms, bringing the total of beds available
to thirty eight. The Oratory is now a small
conference room and the Refectory is the
Warden's office.

The house continues to attract a wide variety
of people and undoubtedly fulfils a very
important need in the Diocese. It has a
full programme which includes Retreats,
Clergy conferences as well as Clergy retreats,
Youth groups, Parish week-ends, pre-confirmation
groups, Sunday school teachers and Probation
Officers meetings, also a few business
house conferences to fill any gaps which
remain. A regular retreat Leader wrote "The
staff go out of their way to promote the
atmosphere of prayer, friendliness and
calm which makes a good Retreat House ....
We can say that it is as good as ever it
was". Support is given by the "Friends
of Old Alresford Place" who not only
pray for its welfare but also provide many
items for the House by means of subscriptions
and donations, and this support is greatly
valued. One big advantage of Old Alresford
Place is its situation, and for those who
love the countryside, and wish to enjoy
the walks along the river, the footpaths,
droves and country lanes, also the abundant
wild life, a better area than this part
of Hampshire would be hard to find.